


Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time

by LeisurelyPanda



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Bottom My Unit | Byleth, Byleth does not know what they are, Byleth is called Ares, Drinking Games, Drunkenness, Explicit Consent, Feelings, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Friends With Benefits, Good Dad Jeralt, Large Cock, M/M, Matchmaker Sothis, Oral Sex, Post-Coital Cuddling, Size Difference, Sothis is a Good Bro, Top Balthus, as in she berates him for working too hard and tells him to laid, but he likes them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:55:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24559540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeisurelyPanda/pseuds/LeisurelyPanda
Summary: Ares has been working too hard and Sothis has finally gotten sick of it. One night, she kicks him out and tells him to find something fun to do.Somehow, Ares ends up in a drinking competition with Balthus and the two of them end up growing closer.
Relationships: Balthazar von Adalbrecht | Balthus von Albrecht/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Fire Emblem Three Houses fanfic, so I hope y'all enjoy!

Ares Byleth Eisner sighed as he looked down at his roster. The students were making good progress. That was good, considering the dangers they faced only seemed to grow as the months passed. Every time he thought they might be out of the woods, a new threat arose to meet them. He began to wonder if his Crest of Flames was similar to Hapi’s crest in some way, like it attracted danger or something. 

That sort of thinking was more like Marianne, but he had to admit that it returned every now and then. Last month, Flayn had gone missing, only to be found unconscious after several days. The other girl, Monica, was suspicious, but he couldn’t exactly have her kicked out of school for being cheerful. 

He drew his eyes back to the roster. It was evening, now. The sun had set hours ago. The wyvern moon was particularly active this year. Those hopeful soldiers who aspired to ride one found the abundance of wyverns to be a blessing and a curse. There were more of them, which meant both greater opportunity and risk in capturing one. 

Several of his students wanted to become wyvern riders. Some, like Petra and Constance, seemed to have a natural affinity for the rank. Others had a bit more trouble with the flying aspect, which wasn’t surprising. Ares remembered the first time he had ridden on a wyvern. It was a daunting prospect at first, but he got used to it soon enough. His students would likely excel and having more flying units was rarely a bad thing, so long as he took into account enemy archers. 

“You really need to get out more,” came a voice. Ares didn’t even flinch. He turned to see Sothis, the mysterious girl who resided in his head. The thought sounded crazy and she scowled at him. “How many times must I tell you? You are not crazy! As though the mind of a mortal could possibly come up with me.” 

“You don’t know what you are either,” Ares replied. 

“That is entirely beside the point!” she declared. “And look what you’ve done! I’ve forgotten why it is I interrupted your dull evening in the first place!”

“Maybe you’re becoming senile,” Ares said with a slight curve of his lips. 

Smiling still felt strange, but also natural. How those two things existed simultaneously, he had no idea, but it was true. No matter how many people remarked on the novelty of his emotional expression, he never found that it was unnatural for him to do so. Smiling happened frequently now, as well as laughing at Claude’s jokes or groaning at Alois’s puns. 

Fear was also familiar. He’d been raised as a mercenary. Fear of going into battle or of getting hurt or for his father getting hurt was nothing new to him. His moniker, the Ashen Demon, came because he didn’t let it, or any emotions show. He couldn’t remember why that was. Maybe Sothis had something to do with it. It didn’t bother him, though, so he didn’t bring it up. 

“How impertinent,” Sothis said with a stern frown, but he knew she found it amusing. He knew her mind as surely as she knew his. “How on earth I ended up stuck with you is a mystery for the ages. Perhaps I am being punished for some misdeeds in a previous life.” 

“If your punishment isn’t to your liking, please tell me how I can improve it,” Ares replied. 

Sothis scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “As I’ve said, I am most assuredly alive.” 

“You were saying that I need to get out more,” Ares said. 

“Ah! Of course, yes,” she replied. “You’ve been staring at that stack of papers for hours now. Get out there and do something else. Something exciting, today has been exceedingly dull.” 

“You expected today to be anything different?” Ares asked. 

“No, but it would be nice to do something exciting that doesn’t involve risking your life,” Sothis said. “It is Friday. You should be out doing something fun, not cooped up inside like a hermit. Your students surely will not be doing so. In fact, I’m sure several of them are out on the town right now.”

In the back of his mind, he suspected that it must be true. Despite the fact that Saturday was reserved for the students to help maintain the monastery grounds, few would get much rest the night before. Sylvain in particular would probably find a woman or man to flirt with for the evening and then complain bitterly about how tired he was the next morning. Even the ones who droned on about nobility tended to become a bit lax at the end of the week. 

“You are getting distracted again,” Sothis said sharply. “Get out of this room! It would do you some good to unwind. Who knows when you’ll have time to do it again?”

“And do what, exactly?” Ares asked as he got to his feet with a bit of resignation.

“What am I, your nanny?” Sothis demanded. “Get drunk, find a restaurant, go shopping. Hell, find a lover for the evening. Just have fun! Goodness, I never thought I would be telling someone who is nearly a child to have some fun. What has the world come to?” 

Ares chuckled to himself. Maybe she was right. He surely wasn’t getting anywhere with his lesson plans. A night out might actually do him so good.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Ares to decide that the last thing he needed was for a knight, or even worse, a student, to find him at one of the bars in the town surrounding Garreg Mach. Few students were old enough to drink, but they were forbidden from doing so, anyway. Not that it stopped them from sneaking some in here and there. 

Still, the point was to get away from his job. The best way to do that… was to go down. 

He walked through long stretches of secret passageways until he reached Abyss. In some ways, the underground society was more suited to him than the officer’s academy. The people here were much less uptight about what they did. Some were criminals, others were former mercenaries, and still others were people from distant lands following different gods. 

There was one thing that made him fit in with this rowdy bunch of misfits: he didn’t fit in with the church. Sure, he had surprising affinity for white magic and healing, but that didn’t mean he believed in the goddess, whoever she was. Rhea said otherwise so often, but so far, nothing he’d seen or heard made him inclined to believe in the goddess, much less worship her. 

If Sothis knew anything, she didn’t say it. In fact, she seemed as indifferent to the Church of Seiros as he was. She helped explain the finer aspects of white magic to him, but none of it ever had anything to do with the goddess or any other deity. It was just magic to her. 

He pushed such thoughts aside as he explored the library. This almost certainly wasn’t what Sothis had in mind, but he kept coming back to one tome in particular. It detailed the years after the War of Heroes, and it gave a distinctly different account from what Rhea and Seteth said. Namely, Seiros seemed to hunt down the people who bore crests and Heroes’ relics, but the reason why had worn away long ago. 

Something about the Church bothered him. Rhea seemed to wield faith like a weapon, and didn’t seem too bothered by ordering people to be put to death for defying her authority. If she were she a queen, that behavior might be understandable, but she wasn’t. 

Ares sighed. Even when he was trying to get away, he was working. He placed the book back where he’d found it, having committed the latest passage to memory. It was a good thing that Sothis was asleep, otherwise he’d never hear the end of it. 

As he left the library to continue towards the bar, he bumped into something like a wall. He almost would have rather bump into an actual wall, the way he bounced back. It was a solid wall of muscle. He blinked and nearly went for his sword before he saw who it was. 

“Ares! What’s goin’ on?” Balthus asked. He had a cheerful smile as though Ares bouncing off him didn’t even register to him. “Don’t see you down here during the week too often.” 

Ares blinked and relaxed as Balthus slung his arm around Ares’ shoulders. In some ways, Balthus reminded him of his father, but only physically, since they couldn’t be more different. Balthus was tall, broad shouldered, and muscular. While Ares was broad, he clearly hadn’t inherited the barrel-chested physique that his father enjoyed.

“I came down for a drink,” he said. Balthus’ eyes lit up.

“Hell yeah! You came to the right place, pal!” he cheered. 

Balthus half led, half dragged Ares to the bar. It was probably the seediest place Ares knew of, but it was out from under the Church’s supervision and the alcohol was truly amazing. Balthus swaggered into the bar and sat them down at the nearest empty table before calling the barkeep to bring enough booze for half a dozen men. It would be enough to get him decently drunk. Maybe it was the crest, but Ares seemed to have a greater tolerance than most when it came to alcohol. 

“So how’s teaching the kids goin’?” Balthus asked. Ares groaned. “That well, huh?” 

“It’s why I’m down here, actually,” Ares said. 

“Can’t blame you for that,” Balthus said. “Me? If I had your job, I’d probably be down here every night no matter how good the pay was.”

“There happens to be an opening since Jeritza turned out to be the Death Knight,” Ares said with a grin. Balthus threw his head back and laughed heartily. It was a rich, full-bellied sound. Ares’ smile grew slightly at the sound as he took his first drink. 

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Balthus chuckled. “Couldn’t have imagined you saying something like that when we first met. You’re so serious all the time. How’d you get that way?”

“My father,” Ares said. He was used to the comparisons and they never bothered him. He’d only had his father growing up. Why wouldn’t he have turned out like him?

“Oof, you got a point there,” Balthus said. “Still, glad you took my advice to heart.” 

Ares paused in his drinking and looked at Balthus. He raised an eyebrow at the muscular man. 

“To choose for yourself!” Balthus said. 

“That business about choosing my own destiny?” Ares asked. “This is what you had in mind?” 

“Don’t matter what I had in mind, does it?” Balthus replied with a wink. “You chose to come here on your own. There’s a lotta bars on the surface that are more comfortable than this one?” 

“I came for the booze,” Ares said. Balthus laughed again and slapped him on the back. 

“A man after my own heart, I tell ya!” he cheered. He lifted a cup and they toasted. Ares watched as Balthus downed the mug in one go. “Aaaahhh this is the best booze in Fódlan, lemme tell ya! And I’ve had that fancy stuff on the surface. Trust me, this is the best you’ll find ‘cause it’s one of the few ways you can make money down here. Makes people real good at brewing, huh?” 

Ares just drank his own booze in lieu of giving an answer. He wasn’t nearly as experienced as his father, or even Balthus when it came to alcohol. It was only recently that he’d become old enough to drink. Ever since he did, though, he found that he enjoyed being drunk or just drinking in general. 

“Okay, no more talk about work,” Balthus said. “That shit’s depressing. Why don’t we see which of us can drink more before the other winds up under the table?” 

Ares grinned in spite of himself. “The stakes?” 

“Oooo gonna make it interesting, huh?” Balthus asked with a mischievous grin. “I don’t have money, so we’re gonna have to make a different kind of bet.”

“Anything in mind?” Ares asked. 

“Hmm, let’s see… if I win, and I will, you help me out with some bounty hunters,” he said. 

“Sounds reasonable,” Ares said. “Any experience for the students is good.” 

“See? Everyone wins if I win,” Balthus said. “So what about you? What do you want?” 

Ares thought. He didn’t make bets often and it usually just involved pocket change. He wasn’t sure what to ask for that he couldn’t do himself. 

“If it helps, I’m down for anything, if you know what I mean,” Balthus said with a wink. Ares face felt warm, but it was probably due to the alcohol. Probably. 

“Well, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said to go out, but I’d say go for it,” came a voice. Ares didn’t react. 

“What do you mean?” he asked silently. 

“You really are the most boneheaded fool at times,” Sothis replied. “I’m telling you to take him up on his offer! I know you’ve stared at him more than once, do not try to deny it.” 

With that, Ares’ eyes drifted down the expanse of Balthus’ chiseled torso. The lines of muscle that were always on full display never failed to draw his eye. Balthus knew it, too, if the way he flirted and his open posture were any indication. 

“What are you waiting for?” Sothis demanded. “If you do not take him into your bed, I swear, I will not speak to you for a week!”

“Fine, but you don’t get to watch,” Ares replied just to her. 

“I share your body and mind,” she replied smugly. “I won’t have to. But if you insist, I will sleep until it is done.” 

Ares looked up at Balthus’ face. The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. His smile was broad and the way he sat as he held the next mug was inviting. Ares smiled and raised his own mug. 

“Deal,” he said. Balthus cheered as he clanged their mugs together. 

“Keep the drinks comin’ barkeep!” Balthus roared. 

All around them the patrons cheered as Ares and Balthus began chugging mugs of beer down. Ares didn’t think about how much this would cost him. He just focused on drinking. Every time Balthus finished a drink, he cheered loudly and shoved him playfully. As the drinking continued, Ares became more and more animated. He felt fine, but he got more competitive, more vocal. He began to cheer with the rest of the crowd when he finished his drinks and he matched Balthus’ shoves. 

At some point, Balthus’ coat went missing. His entire chest was on display, tinged red with the growing flush on his cheeks. On a whim, Ares jumped up on a table and took his own shirt off. The crowd cheered. Someone passed him another drink. Ares had lost track of how many he’d had, but he downed it in a single go all the same before he threw it down with a cheer. 

Balthus joined him on the table. For some reason, Ares wasn’t bothered at all by that. In fact, he brazenly put his hands on Balthus’ hips. Several onlookers whistled and Balthus winked before he downed another mug of ale. Not to be outdone, Ares took another mug when it was offered and downed that as well. The room was starting to get blurry, but he held onto Balthus and the people below him kept him steady. 

“You know,” Balthus said. His words sounded fine to Ares’ ears, but Balthus began to sway slightly. “You’re kinda cute. Been a while since I was with a dude. Could just… go back to your place. Have some fun. Need to unwind.” 

“That’s what she said!” Ares said. 

“She?” Balthus asked. “Who?” 

“Sheeee,” Ares said. Balthus just laughed and they both drank another mug of ale. 

Ares had no idea how long they stood on the table. Eventually, Balthus jumped down and landed solidly as they began to sing a bawdy bar song. Ares sang along. He knew some of the words and slurred what he didn’t know. He couldn’t think of what the song was about even though he knew the words. 

As soon as the song ended, the bar launched into another, bawdier, song. The crowd cheered as Ares and Balthus faced each other and drank another mug. Balthus might have planted a sloppy kiss on Ares’ mouth. Ares might have kissed him back. He couldn’t tell between the noise and the booze. His body felt hot and he was covered in sweat as he and Balthus joined the crowd in the song. 

It was only when the crowd at the bar began to dwindle that Ares felt his vision starting to blur. He closed his eyes, just for a moment. It would be fine. He could catch up later.

* * *

Ares awoke the next morning and immediately regretted his life choices. His head felt like he had fallen off a wyvern and survived. He would never drink again. Someone nearby was humming and he groaned loudly. 

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” came the melodic voice that felt like sandpaper to his ears at the moment. “I must say, professor, from the reports of how much you drank last night, I’m almost surprised that you’re still alive. You could give me a run for my money, and that’s saying something.” 

“Professor… Manuela?” Ares asked. 

“So you know my name. That’s a good sign,” she said. “Sit up for me. You’re in the infirmary. Jeralt came around last night and dropped you two off. Didn’t stay up to chat, though, unfortunately. Or do anything else for that matter. Oh well.”

Ares sighed. He didn’t have the energy for Professor Manuela’s mooning over his dad. If it ever did end up going somewhere, as doubtful as that would be, he didn’t want to know about it. He sat up as best he was able and as soon as he was more than a little upright, Manuela shoved a wooden bucket into his lap. 

“If you feel sick, and I would be shocked if you didn’t, use that,” she said. 

“What time is it?” he moaned as he bent over the bucket. 

“Don’t worry about that right now,” she said. “You’re hardly the first young person to get drunk while going out and definitely not the first person who ended up in my clinic because of it.”

Ares decided he didn’t have the energy to hear about that either. He felt a wave a nausea roll over him and he threw up in the bucket with a groan. 

“Don’t fight it,” Manuela said gently. “I suspect there will be more where that came from.”

The nausea seemed to subside after several minutes, but it felt like forever. When he was done, Manuela gave him a steaming cup of mint tea to deal with the taste in his mouth. As soon as that was done, she gave him a potion made with various herbs he didn’t recognize. 

“This will taste awful, but it will help with the pain, trust me,” she said. He sighed and drank the potion. He shuddered at the horrifically bitter taste. Maybe that was it. The bitterness would take over so he couldn’t think about the pain in his head. “Now, drink some water and go back to sleep. That’s really the only thing for a hangover like this, I’m afraid. Don’t worry, I understand Edelgard has stepped in to make sure your house doesn’t skimp on their duties.” 

Somehow that didn’t make him feel better.

* * *

Somehow, as luck would have it, Edelgard wasn’t that upset with him. She actually seemed somewhat amused by what had happened. He left out the part about the bet. Afterwards, she remarked that she supposed even he needed to get out once in a while. 

His father was clearly trying not to laugh when Ares told him what happened. Why his father had gone down to Abyss, Ares had no idea, but he supposed that if anyone could handle themselves, it was the two of them. He secretly gave Ares a flask. It was newer than his father’s. Ares quickly stashed it in his quarters lest anyone accuse him of drinking on the job. 

Strangely, the only people who seemed disappointed by his actions were Seteth and Rhea. Seteth lectured him on how it was his duty to set an appropriate example for his students in all things. Rhea lectured him on his moral duty to the students. Ares thought it was strange, considering that both his father and Manuela also drank, as well as several other prominent knights. However, Rhea seemed to see him as her child. The sensation was wholly foreign to Ares. Perhaps he should have seen her as a motherly figure, but he didn’t and her treating him that way made him vaguely uncomfortable for reasons he couldn’t fully explain. 

It wasn’t until a week later that he saw Balthus again. When he did, it was Balthus who came to the surface for once. Ares found him loitering outside the training grounds. He seemed the same as always, though Ares wasn’t sure why he expected differently, but he did. 

“Look at you, one night of drunkenness and already you have feelings for him,” Sothis teased. He ignored her. “I quite see the appeal, I must admit. You could have chosen a worse one than he.” 

Ares said nothing as he walked up to Balthus. Balthus smiled warmly as he usually did and chuckled. 

“Glad to see you’re all right there, pal,” Balthus chuckled. “I was a bit worried when they said a knight came and took you back to the surface, but Yuri told me that it was your old man, so I figured you’d be fine.”

“Glad to see you’re all right, yourself,” Ares said. “Who won?” 

“A man after my own heart!” Balthus replied with another hearty laugh. “Guess it is pretty important if you think about it. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anyone who knows.” 

Ares’ stomach felt like lead at that thought. It wasn’t like he’d spent all week fantasizing about what they would do if he’d won (he had, and Sothis had provided pointers, which proved to be a bit of a buzzkill) but he still wanted to know who won. Not in part because it would mean that his weekend might be spent one of two different ways and he would much prefer one over the other. 

“So where does that leave us?” Ares asked. 

“Well, the way I see it, we could either try again—”

“I think I might get fired if we do,” Ares said. 

“Well, can’t have that. Why don’t we consider it a tie?” Balthus said. “So you can help me with some bounty hunters and you… well, what was it you asked for again?” 

Ares felt his face heat almost immediately. “You said that you were… down for anything,” he said. 

“Yeah, but what is it you want, pal?” Balthus asked. His grin said that he knew. Ares would’ve scowled if it wasn’t attractive for some damned reason. 

“I want you to fuck me,” Ares said. 

“Oooh! Well, sounds like it’s gonna be a win-win for the both of us!” Balthus said. “Well, let me know when your class is ready. My sources say the bounty hunters are in Gloucester territory. Not too far for us to go.” 

Ares nodded and Balthus walked off. He could admit to watching as Balthus left until the man turned a corner. He turned and saw someone watching him. It was his father. Ares’ flush returned in full force. His father laughed as he approached. 

“No need to explain, I heard the important bits,” he said. Ares said nothing. He looked down at the ground between them. “Hey, he seems like a decent guy. And if he fights half as well as he drinks, then you won’t hear any argument from me.” 

Ares blinked and looked up at his father. “Really? That’s it?”

“Well, if it’s just for fun, then it’s really none of my business,” his father said. “Though if it were serious, that would be another story. I might have to talk to him.” 

“Father!” Ares hissed. His father just laughed. 

“Oh, goddess, I’ve never seen you embarrassed before!” he said. “I’ve been missing out, this is kinda fun.”

“I hate you,” Ares said. Sothis laughed loudly at that, and so did his father. 

“So long as it doesn’t come between you and the job, that’s all that matters,” he said. “Have fun.” 

And then his father just left, as though Ares had not just discovered what it was like to feel mortified.

* * *

His students rose early the next day, ready to head out for their weekend training. Some of them (Linhardt) seemed disappointed that they weren’t to have another weekend spent leisurely picking about the grounds of Garreg Mach. Ares didn’t pay them much mind. The Battle of Eagle and Lion was at the end of the month and they only had a week and a half left to prepare. 

Balthus joined them on the journey to Gloucester, as was only right. The previous day’s conversations ran through Ares’ mind, though they didn’t distract him from his focus. Balthus had a great many debts and they all seemed eager to collect. It seemed prudent to stay alert. 

Ingrid returned from scouting to report that the bounty hunters were moving along the main road towards them. Ares ordered his students to take up position at a decent spot so they could set up an ambush. There was plenty of cover to conceal them, provided Bernadetta and Caspar could manage to keep quiet.

As luck would have it, they did keep quiet, and his students fell upon the bandits with ease. There were, in fact, more than they expected, but with the element of surprise, a handful of heroes’ relics, and his tactical thinking, they went down without too much fuss.

He cleaned his blade of the blood that coated it with care. His armor was another story, but it would be fine when they returned to the monastery. It didn’t bother him as much as some of his students, but most of them hadn’t grown up fighting for a living. 

“Thanks, Ares. I really owe you one for this,” Balthus said. “Don’t think I could have handled a group this big on my own.”

“We can discuss it back at the monastery,” Ares said. Edelgard gave him an appraising look, which he ignored. He knew of her ongoing flirtation with Dorothea, after all, as well as Hubert and Ferdinand’s… bickering. If she knew that he was shacking up with Balthus, he didn’t expect much judgment.

The journey back to the monastery was thankfully uneventful. The experience was valuable for providing experience on setting ambushes. They probably wouldn’t get the chance to use such tactics in the mock battle, but it would be useful experience for later on. 

“You worry too much,” Balthus said. 

“What?” Ares asked. 

“You were debating how useful this experience is gonna be for the kids, right?” Balthus asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I get it. I got people I worry about too, but you can’t let it get you down.” 

“They’re my responsibility,” Ares said. 

“Yeah, but they’re gonna make their own choices whether you like it or not, so you might as well accept it,” Balthus said. “You won’t be around them forever, so make the most of the time you do have and trust that they’ll figure out the rest.”

“He speaks the truth!” Sothis interjected. “He’s not as foolish as he seems at first impression.” 

Ares was quiet until he felt her presence fade from his mind. He did admit that Balthus’ words made him feel more at ease. 

“Thank you,” he said. Balthus just hummed and clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, you’re doing fine,” he said. “And if you ever need to get away or let off some steam, you’re welcome to come find me.” 

Ares smiled at him. He moved a little closer, but not close enough to arouse suspicion in anyone but the really observant. Hubert and Edelgard would surely know, as well as Dorothea, but Ferdinand was probably busy boasting, Bernadetta was likely trying to avoid everyone, Petra and Ingrid were scouting ahead, and Caspar was busily rehashing the fight while Linhardt sighed with longsuffering. 

In the privacy of his thoughts, Ares thought that it was a lucky thing that he’d come to the monastery.

* * *

Balthus arrived at Ares’ room later that night. Ares and his students had celebrated their return as they always did: with a shared feast in the dining hall. It was always something that he enjoyed. His students were a chaotic, sometimes unruly bunch. They kept him on his toes and often proved amusing. 

Edelgard gave a rousing speech about the importance of solidarity and their shared bonds. Hubert supported her as always while Ferdinand challenged her by boasting that he could do better. Dorothea was torn between pride in her accomplishments and concern for the fallen. Linhardt had his nose buried in a book while his food went forgotten. Bernadetta was nowhere to be seen. Petra and Caspar were still enthusiastically going over the fight. 

In the midst of the commotion, Ares found the time to steal away. He went back to his room, his heart hammering in his chest. It wasn’t like this was his first time or anything… but it had also been a while. The last time he had had sex with someone was nearly a year ago when their mercenary company had done a job on the southern coast of the Fódlan. A nobleman’s guard had spent the night with him before Ares and his company left the following morning. It had been a somewhat mediocre night. 

Ares definitely hoped that Balthus was as good as he seemed to imply. He heard Sothis laugh, but he paid her no mind. He didn’t have to wait long. About ten minutes after he arrived, there was a knock at his door. 

“Ares, it’s me,” Balthus said. Ares quickly opened the door and let him in. He smiled, a ridiculous nervous flutter in his stomach making him more expressive than normal. Balthus stepped into his space. He closed the door and locked it. “I just want to know one thing before we do this.” 

“What?” Ares asked.

“Do you still want this?” Balthus asked. Ares sighed in exasperation and kissed Balthus. Balthus hummed in surprise as their lips met, but he didn’t hesitate for long. His strong hands grabbed at Ares’ cloak and tore it off over his head before doing the same to his shirt. 

“Fuck,” Balthus said. He took his gloves off and his calloused hands reached out and caressed Ares’ body. It was slimmer than Balthus’, but still toned from years of training and work. His body was strong. “Damn, but you’re cute.”

“Cute?” Ares asked. 

“You’re downright adorable,” Balthus said definitively. “I love it. I have a thing for guys who are shorter than me.” 

As if to prove his point, he bent down to kiss him and Ares decided to go with it, though he’d never been called cute in his life. Balthus’ hands explored the plains of his body and Ares did the same, his hands roaming over the hills and valleys of Balthus’ muscular, toned body. He could feel the muscles move beneath the surface of Balthus’ skin. 

“Always knew you had a thing for my bod,” Balthus chuckled. Ares might have rolled his eyes if it weren’t true. He could feel one of Balthus’ ridiculous, goofy grins against his lips. 

“Shut up,” he said. 

Balthus chuckled and pushed him towards the bed. Ares fell back against it as Balthus knelt down between his thighs. He deftly unlaced Ares’ trousers and pulled them down to let his cock spring free. Balthus wasted no time before he took it into his mouth and began sucking on it. Ares moaned half with surprise and half with pleasure. Balthus was surprisingly good at it. His tongue swirled around the head of Ares’ cock as he came up and went down. 

“Oh fuck,” Ares moaned. It had been too long since he’d gotten a blowjob. He’d somehow forgotten how good it felt to get one from someone who was good at it. Balthus popped off but wrapped one of his big hands around the shaft. “Didn’t expect that.” 

“I’m full of surprises, pal,” Balthus said with a grin. He licked the head of the cock and swirled his tongue around it. Ares arched off the bed with a strangled moan. “Just relax. No rush, right?” 

Ares just nodded. He relaxed again and laid back as Balthus kept sucking his cock. He hands roamed over Ares’ body. He teased Ares’ nipples and Ares arched off the bed again. Balthus popped off his cock to suck hard on Ares’ inner thigh. Ares groaned. It felt like sparks of pleasure were lighting from where Balthus was sucking. One of his hands fell to jack Ares’ cock, his wrist twisting over the head every time he rose. 

“Oh shit,” Ares moaned. 

“You gonna come?” Balthus asked. Ares just nodded again. “Fuck, you’re hot like this. Shoulda jumped in your pants a long time ago.” 

Ares moaned again and came in Balthus’ hand, his come shooting over his thick fingers. When it was done, Ares slumped against the bed as his chest heaved. It felt different this time. Usually when he came, that was it. The orgasm was the goal and it was all he felt. This time felt… more intimate. It wasn’t even that Balthus had done anything that other men hadn’t, but it was like he felt closer to him now. 

He filed the feeling away to think about later. 

“You need a break?” Balthus asked. Ares shook his head. “Great! Time for the main event. Didn’t wanna let the olive oil I swiped from the kitchens go to waste.” 

Balthus grinned and flipped him over. Ares knelt on the bed as Balthus uncorked the flask and coated his fingers in the oil. He pressed one to Ares’ hole and pushed in. Ares relaxed and it entered him smoothly. Balthus found his prostate easily and almost immediately, Ares’ cock sprang back to full hardness as a wave of pleasure swept through his body like the winds from the mountains. 

“Fuck,” Ares groaned. He gripped the sheets beneath him.

“You’re real tight,” Balthus groaned. “How long’s it been since you bottomed?” 

“A…a year,” Ares said. “Almost.”

“Please tell me that wasn’t the last time you got laid,” Balthus said. Ares just nodded and Balthus whistled. “Damn, a whole year without any action. That’s what I call a dry spell. Better make sure tonight is a good night, then.” 

Balthus gradually pushed another finger into Ares’ ass. Ares hissed at the stretch, but it didn’t hurt beyond the typical burn of accommodating something being inside him. Balthus other hand was planted squarely in the middle of Ares’ back, holding him down firmly. Eventually, Balthus added a third finger and Ares moaned. He hadn’t felt this full in ages, but if the bulge in Balthus’ pants was any indication, he was in for quite the night. 

Finally, after what felt like forever, Balthus pulled his fingers out and shucked his trousers to the floor. Ares looked back to see a large, hard cock standing erect, larger than he had thought it would be judging from Balthus’ bulge. He watched as Balthus poured more oil from the flask onto his cock and pumped it slowly until it glistened faintly. 

“You ready?” he asked. Ares just nodded. Balthus knelt behind him on the bed and slowly pushed into Ares’ ass. 

It took some effort to stay relaxed. Balthus was thick as well as long, but he clearly knew what he was doing. He was patient, pushing so slowly that the wait to be filled was almost too much. Finally, he bottomed out and they both groaned with pleasure. 

“Goddess,” Ares moaned. “You’re so big.” 

“You love it, don’t you?” Balthus chuckled. He squeezed Ares’ ass with both hands as he growled playfully. “Damn, but you’re tight. Can’t remember the last person I slept with who was this tight. You need to get fucked more often.” 

“You won’t hear any arguments from me,” Ares said with a grin. 

They just lay there for a while until Ares was ready. Balthus began to rock slowly against him. His cock grazed over Ares’ prostate every time it moved and Ares couldn’t help but moan from the intense pleasure. It was like a roaring wildfire of pleasure had been unleased and he couldn’t help but be consumed by the pleasure he felt. 

Balthus grunted as he gripped Ares’ hips and began to thrust longer and faster. Ares was glad for it. He wasn’t fragile. He could take whatever Balthus could dish out and he was eager to feel what Balthus could do. 

“Goddess, pal, but you feel amazing,” Balthus grunted. He was going hard and fast now, their bodies smacking together each time Balthus snapped his hips forward. Ares arched his back as he pushed back against Balthus and tightened around the thick length inside him. Balthus groaned over him. “Fuck, don’t know how long I’m gonna last.” 

“Don’t you dare come yet,” Ares said. Balthus just laughed and smacked his ass. Ares moaned again at the feeling. 

“Don’t you worry about that,” Balthus said. “The Insatiable King of Grappling can go all night!”

Ares grinned in spite of himself. He’d need to find time when he could actually test that claim. 

Balthus pulled out completely, but before Ares could complain, he was flipped onto his back with his legs wrapped around Balthus’ waist. Balthus pushed his cock back into Ares’ ass with one smooth thrust. He leaned down and kissed Ares as he thrust hard and fast into him. Ares clung to him, his fingers dug into Balthus’ back as he returned the kiss. 

Balthus reached down and grabbed ahold of Ares’ cock and jerked it in tandem with his thrusts. Ares moaned louder. He could already feel his next climax approaching, coiled hot like a serpent in the pit of his stomach. He tightened around Balthus’ cock again and Balthus groaned. 

“You close again?” Balthus asked. Ares nodded and Balthus began to fuck faster. “Me too, pal. Me too.” 

Ares cried out with pleasure as he came in Balthus’ fist again. Balthus grunted and groaned lowly as he slammed his cock into Ares’ ass. Ares could feel it pulse inside him as Balthus’ come burst from his cock inside him. Ares sighed happily as he felt it. Balthus kissed him one last time before he pulled out. He got up and grabbed a cloth and wiped them both down before he settled in next to Ares. 

“What are you doing?” Ares asked. 

“Cuddling,” Balthus said. “I’m a cuddler. I like doing it after I’ve had sex. But if you want me to leave, that’s cool too.” 

“No… it’s fine, just unexpected,” Ares said. He was never a cuddler. He had never cuddled in his life. But… this felt nice. It seemed silly that it should feel good, but it did. He rolled over in Balthus’ arms. The man was covered in hard muscle, but his shoulder made for a surprisingly comfortable pillow. 

“Okay, pal,” Balthus said. “You want me gone, you just say the word.” 

Ares nodded and closed his eyes. His body felt comfortably sore in ways that he hadn’t felt in far too long. He pulled the covers over their bodies and fell asleep more easily than he had in months.

* * *

It was still dark when Ares awoke. Balthus was already up and getting dressed. Ares was used to getting up in the wee hours of the morning, but most people he found, including his students, were not. He was somewhat surprised to see Balthus getting up so early. 

“Figured it might be smart if I got back down to Abyss before someone in the Church takes offense to my being in your room,” Balthus said. 

“If the lecture I got from Seteth and Rhea regarding my hangover last week is any indication, I’m sure they would have plenty to say,” Ares said. 

“Right. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but I don’t want to cause trouble for you,” Balthus said. “I mean, you did help me out with those bounty hunters yesterday and everything. Seems a lousy way to repay you if the Church started breathing down your neck because of me.” 

“Thank you,” Ares said. “For everything.” 

“Any time,” Balthus said. “I mean it. I had fun, so if you ever got an itch you need me to scratch, you know where to find me.” 

With that, Balthus walked out of the room and quietly disappeared with the first feeble rays of the morning light. Ares sighed. The peace didn’t last forever, though. Sothis appeared next to the bed as soon as he was dressed. She looked like the cat that got into the cream. 

“So,” she said. “When are you going to go to him again?” 

Ares groaned.

**Author's Note:**

> I might add more to this if y'all are interested in seeing more. 
> 
> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all! <3
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://ares-byleth-eisner.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense!


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